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30,000 Soldiers Will Lose Jobs in Next 17 Months With Automatic Budget Cuts; 10K This Year, Another 20K Next Year

Automatic budget cuts known as “sequestration” are expected to shed some 30,000 soldiers from the active rolls in the next 17 months, with 10,000 of that number going in 2014 and another 20,000 to follow in 2015.

According to an Army Times report the cuts are the result of a larger effort expected to reduce the size of the U.S. Army to a force of 420,000 soldiers by 2019.

A recent accounting of the Army shows that on April 1 some 519,786 troopers were reported on active duty.

“The personnel total includes 4,000 West Point cadets and several hundred soldiers who are processing for separation because of physical disability, and several hundred others who have been identified for involuntary separation or retirement because of indiscipline or selection by force reduction boards,” noted the Army Times.

That number is expected to dwindle to 510,000 by the end of fiscal year 2014 on Sept. 30 then drop to 490,000 by the end of fiscal year 2015.